Need help evaluating flux integral

In summary, the author has created a formula to represent the neutron flux from a disc emitter through an aperture. They have gotten the formula down to a double integral, but are not sure how to evaluate it. Someone suggested completing the square inside the square root and this simplified the radical enough for Mathematica to evaluate the integral. After doing so, they found that the radicand was negative, indicating that the integrand might be a different form than they were expecting.
  • #1
gluons
15
0
I have constructed a formula to represent the neutron flux from a disc emitter through an aperture. I have got it down to a double integral of a form that I can't see how to evaluate. Mathematica crashes on this and I am not ready yet to give up and go to numerical solution. Does anyone know a good technique for evaluating integrals of this type?

Int dTheta*Sin(2*Theta)*Sqrt[A^2-(r-D*Tan(Theta))^2]

It is a product of a trig function and then a sqrt with a trig function inside. Integration by parts doesn't improve the radical and I'm looking for analytic solution if possible...any ideas?
 
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  • #2
Trig identities and operations like completing the square inside the square root will put that in the form

$$\int d\theta \sin\theta \sqrt{\beta \cos^2\theta -1},$$

which can be done in closed form by a simple substitution.
 
  • #3
fzero said:
Trig identities and operations like completing the square inside the square root will put that in the form

$$\int d\theta \sin\theta \sqrt{\beta \cos^2\theta -1},$$

which can be done in closed form by a simple substitution.

The integrand is of the form

$$\int d\theta \sin2\theta \sqrt{\alpha^2 - (r-\beta\tan\theta)^2}$$

Completing the square will simplify the radical, but the radicand becomes negative in this case:

$$\int d\theta \sin2\theta \sqrt{-\gamma-u^2}$$ where $$u=\tan\theta-r/\beta$$ and $$\gamma = (\alpha^2-2r^2)/\beta^2$$

Our integrating variable $$du/d\theta$$ is then equal to $$1+\tan\theta^2 = 1/\cos^2\theta$$

After rewriting the differential coefficient in terms of u, the integral can then be rewritten

$$2 \int \frac{du (u+\frac{r}{\beta})}{(1+(u+\frac{r}{\beta})^2)^2} \sqrt{-\gamma-u^2}$$

Mathematica returns a huge mess to this. I think the fact that the u^2 is negative inside the radical makes this a different form from what you might have been thinking. I am not sure this form is easier to evaluate...
 
  • #4
I think I may be able to construct a different integrand if I parameterize the problem differently...will check back later.
 

Related to Need help evaluating flux integral

What is a flux integral?

A flux integral is a mathematical concept used in physics and engineering to calculate the flow of a vector field through a surface. It measures the amount of a vector field that passes through a given surface.

How do you evaluate a flux integral?

To evaluate a flux integral, you first need to determine the surface over which the flux is being calculated. Then, you need to define the vector field and integrate it over the surface using the appropriate formula. The result will be a scalar value representing the flux through the surface.

What is the significance of flux integrals in science?

Flux integrals are important in science because they allow us to quantify the flow of a vector field through a surface. This can be applied to various real-world situations, such as calculating the flow of water through a pipe or the flow of air over an airplane wing.

What are some common applications of flux integrals?

Flux integrals have many practical applications in physics and engineering. They are commonly used in fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, and heat transfer to calculate the flow of fluids, electric and magnetic fields, and heat through surfaces.

What are some techniques for solving difficult flux integrals?

There are several techniques for solving difficult flux integrals, such as using symmetry to simplify the problem, choosing appropriate coordinate systems, and using known integrals as building blocks for more complex integrals. It is also helpful to break the integral into smaller, more manageable parts and to carefully choose the bounds of integration.

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